A Kerala court has issued non-bailable warrants against yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Yogpeeth president Acharya Balkrishna for failing to appear in a criminal case related to misleading medical advertisements.
The case was filed by the Kerala Drugs Inspector against Divya Pharmacy, a subsidiary of Patanjali Ayurved, over alleged violations of advertising regulations.
The Palakkad District Court had initially issued bailable warrants, but after both Ramdev and Balkrishna failed to attend court on February 1, the judge escalated the action, issuing non-bailable warrants. The next hearing is scheduled for February 15.
Divya Pharmacy, Balkrishna, and Ramdev have been named as accused in the case.The complaint against Divya Pharmacy cites violations under The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, which prohibits the advertising of certain drugs for treating diseases, especially those making unsubstantiated claims about curing or preventing medical conditions.
This legal action adds to Patanjali’s long history of legal troubles. A previous case, filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), scrutinized Patanjali’s advertisements during the COVID-19 pandemic, where Ramdev made claims about curing the virus and undermining modern medicine.
